10 September 2026

There are some gigs where you leave remembering a particular song. There are others where you remember the atmosphere. Evanescence at Manchester’s Co-op Live managed to deliver both.

From the moment Evanescence took the stage, the energy inside the arena was undeniable. Even from the back of the top tier, the sound was remarkably clear, allowing Amy Lee’s vocals to cut through with an impressive level of clarity. Considering the distance from the stage, the quality of the sound was one of the biggest surprises of the night.

But this wasn’t simply a night built around nostalgia.

K.Flay

K.Flay opened the evening with plenty of energy, although the sound initially struggled. From the back of the arena, the mix sounded noticeably muddy during the early part of the set, making it difficult to pick out everything clearly.

Thankfully, the sound improved as the performance progressed, allowing the energy of the set to come through much more effectively.

There was also something strikingly familiar about her movement and stage presence. The combination of movement, attitude and clothing choices brought to mind Billie Eilish’s early live aesthetic. Whether intentional or not, the visual style certainly felt like part of the performance rather than an afterthought.

By the latter part of the set, the improving sound allowed K.Flay to make much more of an impact.

Poppy

Poppy was a different proposition altogether.

From the outset, she had the crowd engaged, and her performance was one of the strongest support sets of the evening. There was a confidence to the way she occupied the stage, and it was clear that the audience were buying into what she was doing.

Her clean vocals were particularly impressive. There were occasional moments where breath control became noticeable during some of the more demanding performances, but overall her clean singing was excellent.

The screams, however, didn’t quite have the same strength as they do on record. That said, the sheer energy of the performance more than compensated, and Poppy succeeded in making her relatively short set feel substantial.

By the time she left the stage, she had made a very convincing case for being an artist capable of commanding a room far larger than a support slot.

Evanescence

Then came Evanescence.

And from the first moments of their set, it was obvious that this was going to be something special.

The crowd were completely invested. There was a constant stream of singing from the arena, with the biggest reactions naturally reserved for the songs that have become synonymous with Evanescence over the years.

Amy Lee was incredible.

Her vocals were every bit as powerful as you’d hope, but it was her stage presence that really elevated the performance. She has an ability to command a huge arena without making it feel impersonal, and that connection with the audience was particularly evident during “Call Me When You’re Sober” and “Better Without You.”

Those moments where the crowd took over were among the most memorable of the night.

And visually, the production was exceptional.

The stage itself had been designed with movement and transitions clearly in mind. A platform incorporated into the stage could raise a piano into position when required for particular songs, before seamlessly disappearing again when it was no longer needed. Rather than feeling like a technical interruption, the movement of the piano was incorporated into the choreography of the set, making the transitions between songs feel smooth and deliberate.

The enormous screens, carefully timed visuals and well-placed pyrotechnics worked alongside the music rather than simply sitting behind it. From the back of the top tier, the scale of the production was particularly impressive. The combination of the visuals, lighting, pyrotechnics and Amy Lee’s presence created an atmosphere that felt genuinely cinematic.

Yet for all the spectacle, it was the music and the connection between band and audience that remained at the centre.

The highlight

For me, “End of You” was the moment of the night.

The duet was simply incredible, bringing together two very different vocal styles in a performance that felt genuinely special. It stood out even in a set packed with huge moments and was, without question, my personal highlight of the evening.

That said, hearing the entire arena singing along to “Bring Me to Life” was difficult to beat.

There is something particularly powerful about hearing thousands of people simultaneously sing a song that has been part of their lives for more than two decades. For a few minutes, the arena belonged as much to the audience as it did to Evanescence.

The verdict

Evanescence delivered an outstanding arena show.

The vocals were exceptional, the production was spectacular and the connection with the audience never felt forced. Most importantly, the performance managed to balance the band’s newer material with the songs that brought so many people into the room in the first place.

The fact that the sound remained so impressive even from the back of the top tier deserves particular credit. Whatever your thoughts on Co-op Live as a venue, from this seat at least, the audio experience was excellent.

Poppy provided an impressive support performance, while K.Flay grew into their set as the sound improved.

But Evanescence were on another level.

Painted in Punk rating: ★★★★★

Moment of the night: End of You

Biggest crowd moment: Bring Me to Life

Would we see them again? Absolutely.